GIBSON CO., Ind./SALINE CO., Ill,—An incident in Princeton, Indiana involving two men from Eldorado is currently under investigation by Gibson County, and Princeton, Ind. authorities.
The incident developed on Thursday, September 18, during Princeton’s Fall Festival, held downtown on the courthouse square.
There, Shortline Amusements from Schaumberg, Indiana, had set up and was doing business for the crowds at the very popular fest.
And there, two young men from Eldorado, Ryne Ashley Stewart, 29, and Josh Capps, 32, were involved in what can only be described as a “carny” brawl in the early morning hours of that date.
Stewart, who has worked for carnivals since he was about 15, said that it was at that time that the carnival workers, having set up the rides for the fest, had gone back to the Gibson County Fairgrounds, which were located across town from the event on the square.
He said he was about to get out of his car to go to his camper when he heard screaming.
Turns out that the screams were coming from Capps, who was the subject of some “really mad, really wasted” carnival workers with Shortline, Craig Tash, 36, and Joshua DT Kourtis (also known as Steve-O), 23.
“Josh (Capps) was on the ground, this guy Craig was on top of him and the other guy was kicking him in the face,” Stewart said. “I tried to break it up, and they told me that they were gonna jump ME when they got done with Capps.”
Capps was able to get up and run, but the two guys, known only to Stewart as “Craig” and “Steve-O” to the rest of the hired help, were able to get hold of him and jump him again.
Stewart was able to get out, and took off to the city’s Walmart on the west side of town.
“I called 911, and four officers showed up,” Stewart said. Giving the officers the story, Stewart said they asked him to go with them to identify the men who had jumped Capps.
“I was really scared,” Stewart said.
When they all arrived back at the fairgrounds, Stewart said “carnies were drunk and laying around everywhere.”
Kourtis was placed in a cop car; Tash was found hiding under a truck.
“Craig was uncooperative,” Stewart said. Officers had told him to lie down on the ground…but it took four cops to take him down, a task that involved TASERing Tash twice before he would comply. He, too, was taken to a waiting car.
Josh Capps was also found hiding under a carnival truck. His injuries were severe enough that he was rushed to Gibson General Hospital ER, then immediately transferred to Deaconess in Evansville, where he was subsequently treated.
The owner of Shortline, Beely, was very upset with Stewart for involving the cops.
“He said ‘I’ve been an owner for 26 years and I would never call the cops over something like that,’” Stewart said, noting that the response ultimately was significant: at the height of the investigation, there were as many as 30 Princeton City Police and Gibson County Sheriff’s Department vehicles on the fairgrounds premises.
But Stewart pointed out that while some carnies have reputations for enjoying a good fight, this one couldn’t be described as such a thing.
“The cops found a blood trail from where the fight had started,” Stewart explained. “It was a football field long.”
Stewart pointed out that he’s originally from “the bad side of St. Louis,” but that “this is the worst thing I’ve seen”…and added that Shortline has traditionally been the amusements company providing rides and tents for The Gathering of the Juggalos when that was still going on in Hardin County (2007-2013).
Attempts to reach Shortline were unsuccessful as of press time; however, Princeton City Police officials advised that as of press time (Sunday, September 28), both Tash and Kourtis were being held, charged with multiple counts: Battery with Serious Bodily Injury/Strangulation, Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct.
Capps continues to recover from his injuries.